Kristina Oliver, who owns a livestock farm in Hemet, says Crystal Cathedral owes her $56,000 for her services during the "Glory of Christmas" pageant. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

How to help

Anyone who is interested in donating to Judy Hatch's Dollar Foundation to benefit the vendors who have not been paid by the Crystal Cathedral may send their contributions to: The Dollar Foundation, 412 Carriage Drive, Waukesha, WI 53188. Information: 262-309-5854 or e-mail her at lablady412@sbcglobal.net.

How much are they owed?

Kristina Oliver, livestock supplier: $56,000

Juliet Noriega, wardrobe supervisor: $10,000

Bruce Johnson, drycleaner: $11,500

Carin Galletta, public relations: $16,000

PNCEF LLC. equipment finance company: $1.9 million

Lin Television Corporation: $90,567

Hearst Television Inc.: $105,400

Source: court documents and vendor statements

GARDEN GROVE – Three businesses, including an equipment financing company and two television stations, have filed lawsuits against the Crystal Cathedral stating that the megachurch owes them more than $2 million for services rendered.

The lawsuits were filed in February and March in Orange County Superior Court and are a continuation of the Garden Grove megachurch's financial problems. Last week, several vendorswho provided services for the cathedral's "Glory of Christmas" pageant said the cathedral has yet to pay them.

Among the vendors are Kristina Oliver, who supplied camels, horses and sheep for the pageant; wardrobe manager Juliet Noriega; drycleaner Bruce Johnson, who cleaned the actors' costumes; and Carin Galletta, whose public relations firm provided publicity for the pageant.

John Charles, a spokesman for the cathedral, said he was not aware that the lawsuits had been filed. Gwyn Myers, a financial consultant for the cathedral, did not return a phone call Thursday.

PNCEF LLC, an Indiana-based equipment finance company, alleged in a lawsuit filed Feb. 19 that the Garden Grove church defaulted on loan payments as early as April 2009. By December, the cathedral owed close to $2 million they borrowed to finance various pieces of equipment, including speakers, lights and fiber optics.

At the time, according to ledgers submitted with the complaint, the church had defaulted on as many as nine loan payments. The lawsuit was filed almost a year after the cathedral stopped paying, said Marshall Goldberg, attorney for PNCEF.

"Filing litigation is the last resort in such cases," he said. "My clients decided to file litigation after a long time and a lot of discussion."

The church's attorney explained that the church's problems have to do with the economy, Goldberg said.

"They said their income is based on the congregation and they said their attendance is down," he said.

Two television stations, KRQE-TV owned by Lin Television Corp. and WCKF-TV owned by Hearst Television Inc. also filed lawsuits against the cathedral March 3, stating that the church owes them about $100,000 for "the reasonable value of the work, labor, advertising services and materials rendered by plaintiff to defendants at the defendants' request."

The lawsuits from both companies allege that the cathedral has not paid them any of the money due despite their demands for payment. In addition to the payment, the television companies are also seeking reimbursement of attorneys' fees and costs of the lawsuit. Jay Applebaum, an attorney representing the television stations declined comment.

Sheila Schuller Coleman, executive director of Crystal Cathedral Ministries, issued a statement last week that the church needs "an influx of new gifts to be able to honor" their current accounts payables with vendors. She also said that the cathedral would organize a meeting to talk face-to-face with vendors about getting them paid.

Oliver said she has heard nothing so far about that meeting.

Charles said the church plans to have the meeting sometime in mid-April.

In February, church administrators announced that continuing financial woes have prompted them to start shutting down all operations at their 20-acre campus in Rancho Capistrano, closing a church, preschool, retreat area, soccer fields, camping grounds and a conference and wedding center. The megachurch has put various properties up for sale, laid off employees and suspended its Easter pageantthis year. The cathedral has scaled down its "Hour of Power" broadcasts viewed by millions worldwide.

Charles said there is still "a lot of interest" in the retreat center from prospective buyers. He said the Chapman Avenue office building, which houses the "Hour of Power" offices, is also up for sale, but so far, there have been no takers.

Cathedral administrators say they hope to bridge a $55 million budget deficit with the sale of the Rancho Capistrano and Chapman Avenue properties.

Several Crystal Cathedral donors and members called and e-mailed the Register to say they are outraged that the cathedral still has not paid the vendors. Judy Hatch, a resident of Waukesha, Wis. is one of them.

"I stopped donating to the church the day I heard about what they're doing with the vendors," said Hatch, who describes herself as a loyal follower of Crystal Cathedral Ministries for the last 15 years.

Hatch said she called the church and got a response from an employee who told her that the church is not in a position to pay the vendors at this time.

"This is a Christian ministry, not just a business," she said. "They are supposed to be helping people. The real issue is that real people are getting seriously hurt here."

Hatch said she is in the process of starting a foundation – The Dollar Foundation -- to help the vendors. She is asking anyone who wants to help to send $1, which she will put in a bank account and distribute to the vendors who are in line.

Oliver's story touched her the most, Hatch said.

"This is a woman with two young children, a husband with cancer, about to lose her house," she said.

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